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Friday Newsletter

May 12, 2023

From the Pastor's Desk

Friends, the post-Covid blues seem to have lifted and our ecumenical partners throughout the city and the state have been hard at work this spring. As your pastor, one of my roles is to represent Westminster out in the wider community and to articulate a vision of the common good (Presbyterian style naturally!). I like to report back every now and then with an update:


  • On April 27, our mainline partners (Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalian, UCC) gathered for a time of fellowship and dreaming. The youth workers are dreaming about a shared youth collective and what that might look like. It is exciting work.
  • On May 3, a number of the faith leaders in Salem met with the outgoing/incoming superintendent of SKPS and discussed what is a healthy relationship between the schools (state) and the faith community (church).
  • On May 4, I provided the opening invocation for the Oregon Senate. I met a handful of our elected officials including some who represent neighborhoods in the Salem area. You can find a copy of my remarks and the video here.
  • On May 10, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon met at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in downtown Salem for their annual gathering. This is a wonderful partnership of faith leaders throughout the state. 
  • On May 10, we hosted two representatives from the PCUSA national office, Susan Krehbiel and Elmarie Parker, a mission worker in Lebanon and friend of Westminster. Susan is supporting WPC’s refugee work, and Elmarie is dreaming about an Oregon-Lebanon young adult pilgrimage and intercultural training.
  • On May 11, Westminster and First Pres attended the gathering for HB 2002 and SJR 33. These are important initiatives as they seek to ensure that all Oregonians share the same basic human rights without granting more to some and less to others.

If any of these ministry opportunities are of interest to you, please contact me and I can connect you to Westminster’s partners in the community. They would love to have you.


One final note - please take some time this weekend to vote in the Salem-Keizer school board election. Like many of you, I will be dedicating my kitchen table to this task on Sunday afternoon. Just as we have been drawing the circle wide in our worship together, how might we equip our local board to also draw the circle wide, to be faithful to students with all kinds of needs and interests? I am particularly interested this year in how the candidates are funded and am increasingly uncomfortable when individuals accept money from PACs (political action committees), large single donors, and out-of-city and out-of-state dollars as is currently happening. Has this always been this way? What are your thoughts? Have you come across good metrics to learn about the candidates? If you have helpful resources, send them my way - I would love to hear how the members and friends at Westminster are thinking about our school board.


Ever onward,

Pastor Kelly

5/12/23

This Sunday



Worship Service: 10 am

Sunday School & nursery care available

Coffee Hour: following service

No Youth Groups

Worship Notes

In worship this week we will take a look at the Mother’s Day Proclamation from Julia Ward Howe as well as ordain and install 7 new elders and deacons. We will also sing our new song of blessing, Draw the Circle Wide. Please be practicing! 


Sunday Music Spotlight

Coming from the sacred tradition of African-American Spirituals, this week's final hymn, "Lord, I Want to Be a Christian", is a staple among many churches in the United States. In a broad brush stroke, Spirituals (the musical genre) are songs stemming from the 19th century when African-Americans were enslaved people. Often sung during the hardships of the day, many of their texts are sacred in nature, praising God and anticipating the promised Eternal Life. You are invited to read and learn more about this glorious hymn in the UMC article, "History of Hymns: ‘Lord, I Want to Be a Christian".

Participate


Needed for Vacation Bible Camp: two large cardboard boxes (refrigerator-sized). Contact the church office or Teri Mohney if you can help!


Men's Night Out is Tuesday, May 16, at 6 pm at The Ram. Please RSVP to Bill Faust (bill@wgfaust.com).


It's the time of year to send notes of encouragement to our college age students! Please take a moment to sign the cards in the narthex. We are also accepting gift cards for Starbucks, Dutch Bros, McDonalds, Taco Bell (or any fast food chain) to include with the cards to our students. Please leave gift cards in Vik's box in the main office. Cards will be available to sign through mid-May! Thank you for your support of our youth! 


RSVP to Families Lunch on May 21, 11:30-1:00 (office@salemwestpres.org). Lunch served to all, then kids' activities and infant care available during adult program time. Youth are invited to go roller-skating (RSVP separately here.)


Save the Date


Red Cross Blood Drive: May 22, 1-6 pm (more details below!)


Congregational Meeting: June 11, 11 am (renewal of Boulder Hall loan)


Vacation Bible Camp: 6/26-6/30 for current Kindergarteners-5th graders. Register here or pick up a form in the narthex.

FYI

The Scripture text for Sunday worship (and Pastor's Bible Study) is departing from the narrative lectionary for the next several weeks. We will be staying in Acts as we continue to "draw the circle wide". Texts are as follows:

4/30: Acts 13:1-3; 14:8-18

5/7: Acts 3:1-10

5/14: Acts 19:23-41

5/21: Acts 16:16-40

Session is meeting on May 31 instead of May 17 this month.


Wondering about the Earth Day children's story we shared in service a couple weeks ago? It was one story from the book Connected Wisdom: Living Stories About Living Systems by Linda Booth Sweeney. 


Access the full church calendar here.  


Deadline for placing info in the Friday Newsletter is every Thursday at 9 am!

In the Community

Thanks


Family Building Blocks thanks Westminster for "caring for babies and toddlers from the bottom up"! Thank you to everyone who donated diapers and wipes.


Prayers for


Evelyn Aiken, Darrell Tallman, Pat Randle, and Lois Parker, who are all transitioning in their housing and care needs.


Bert Huber, who faces a new diagnosis.


Teri Mohney and family at the passing of her dad this past week.


**If you would like a written prayer included in Sunday's worship bulletin, please email or call the church office (krisha@salemwestpres.org; 503-364-3327) or fill out the prayer request form on the website by Thursday at 10 am each week.


Give


The Cancer Resource Center provides free head coverings to patients undergoing cancer treatment. We have wigs, hats, and scarves to give to patients no matter where they are being treated. As the weather warms up, some patients ask for scarves rather than a wig. This year we have very few large square head scarves. If you have a large head scarf you do not wear, would you please donate it? You can take it to the CRC in building C at Salem Hospital or you can drop it off in the church office. I will take the donations to the CRC. If you have questions, or would like to learn about the blessings of volunteering in the CRC, please contact Lynnea Lyman.


Please, remember to bring your pillow case fabric this week. We need to start planning on how many cases we can make for Doernbecher. 

Greetings Westminster Friends! Once again the American Red Cross is hosting a blood donation drive at Westminster on May 22, 2023. Thank you so much for your life-affirming donations in the past. Please join with other Westminster members and the Salem community by rolling up your sleeves and pitching in! You can be as altruistic as you have always wanted to be! There are still many appointment spots available between 1:15pm and 5:15pm, so please give us a call soon to pick your spot. We also need folks to give the "Power Red" or "Double Red" where one gives two units of red cells and gets BACK ALL your plasma and platelets (plus some saline solution)! You will feel more hydrated and often less tired after that donation. To get scheduled you can use the Red Cross blood donor app or email or call Bill Nelson at bnelson@pacificomm.net or (503) 576-1278, or Pam Garland at (503) 551-2998. Thank you, and let's keep Westminster the premier church blood donation site in Salem!! All the best to you, Bill Nelson

Westminster Presbyterian Church

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3737 Liberty Rd. S 

Salem, OR 97302

PHONE: 503-364-3327

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